Quick-mounting hardware

ABSTRACT

Snap-on hardware mounted on a structural component having a boss and a lip adjacent to the boss, and including a support portion having a cavity essentially the same size as the boss. A flexible cantilevered arm extends alongside of the support portion, and the free end of the arm includes a catch for snapping over the lip when the support portion is positioned over the boss. A functional portion extends from the support portion.

-United Sta tes Patent Andreini et al. I Sept. 5, 1972 [541 QUICK-MOUNTING HARDWARE [56] References Cited I [72] Inventors: John Andreini, Irvington, N.J.; PAT NT Edwin Harley Borchard; Karl-Heinz E Pom both of Boudler Colo I Pautne R Anthony Puccio, East Brunswick I 8 I I-Iartz I N 3,523,269 8/ 1970 Witek....; ..339/91 Assigneez Bell Telephone Laboratories, [mob 3,213,189 10/ 1965 Mitchell ..174/l38 m Murray B Primary Examiner--Robert L. Wolfe Helghts Att0rney-R. J. Guenther and Edwin B. Cave 22 Filed: Aug. 28, 1970 57 ABS CT [21] Appl. No. 67,903

, Snap-on hardware mounted on a structural coma ponent having a boss and a lip 'adjacent to, the boss, [52] US. Cl .;..292/87 and including a Support portion having a cavity essem [51] Int. Cl. ..E05c l 9/06 au' the Samesize as the boss A flexible vcantilevered [58] Field of Search.292/ 17, 19, 76, 87, 91', DIG. 38; arm extends alongside of the support portion and the A, 201 S, 217, 223', 224, 230 CF, 230 NP, 230 SL; 16/128 R, 167, DIG. l3, DIG. 19,

DIG. 24, DIG. 25, DIG. 40, DIG. 41; 248/27,

free end of the arm includes a catch for snapping over thelip when the support'portion is positioned over the boss. A functional portion extends froin the support portion, 1

1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTED SEP 5 I972 SHEET -1 BF 2 FIG I ATTORNEY PATENTED E f 519 2 I 3.689.115

SHEEI 2 2 FIG. 3

QUICK-MOUNTING HARDWARE FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to hardware and, within that field, to components adapted to be mounted on a structural element without the use of fasteners.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION With the cost of labor becoming an ever increasing factor in the cost of manufacturing cabinet type structures, it has become increasingly desirable to reduce the amount of time necessary to assemble the many elements that comprise such structures. One area that has not received much attention heretofore is the hardware that is used in each cabinet. This hardware is at present mounted by the use of fasteners which require the threading of a screw into a tapped hole or the threading of a nut onto a bolt. Since each piece of hardware requires at least two fasteners, and since each cabinet structure includes several hinges and at least one latch, the time required to fasten the hardware in place is significant.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Hardware is herein disclosed that is snapped into place and does not require the use of any fasteners, thereby effecting a substantial reduction in the time required to secure the hardware in place. The hardware of this invention is mounted on a structural component having a boss and a lip adjacent to the boss. The hardware itself comprises a unitary member that includes a support portion having a cavity therein, the walls of the cavity being of a configuration to embrace the boss. A flexible cantilevered ann extends alongside of the support portion, the fixed end of the arm being adjacent to the closed end of the cavity and the free end of the arm extending beyond the open end of the cavity. The free end includes a catch for snapping over the lip of the structural component when the support portion is positioned over the boss. A functional portion extends from the support portion in a different direction from the arm.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hinge pintle embodiment of the hardware of this invention spaced from the structural component on which it is mounted; and

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the hinge pintle mounted on the associated structural component and a member including a hinge barrel mounted on the pintle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to FIG. 1, the hardware of this invention comprises a unitary member including a support 10. The support includes a base 12 having a cavity 14 in the forward end thereof, the open end of the cavity being surrounded by a planar face 15. The support 10 also includes a lateral extension 16 at the rear of the base 12.

The extension 16 has a flexible cantilevered arm 18 extending therefrom alongside of the base 12 generally perpendicular to the plane of the face 15. The arm 18 may be a single ribbon-like element as shown in FIG. 1, or it may be bifurcated. In either case, the free end of the arm 18 extends forward of the face 15 and includes a catch 20 consisting of a cam surface 22 inclined to the plane of the arm and intersecting a detent surface 24 orthogonal to the plane of the arm.

These elements interact with a structural component 30 that, as shown most clearly in FIG. 1, includes a boss 32 adjacent to a lip 34. The surface of the lip 34 that is on the same side of the structural component 30 as the boss 32 is advantageously rounded, while the opposite surface of the lip is flat.

The elements of the hardware bear a particular relationship to the boss 32 and the lip 34. The detent surface 24 of the catch 20 is spaced from the face 15 of the base 12 a distance that is substantially the same as the distance between the flat surface of the lip 34 and the surface surrounding the boss 32. In addition, the cavity 14 has a shape that conforms to the shape of the boss 32 in sufficient detail that the boss is captured within the cavity. As illustrated, the boss 32 has an I configuration, while the cavity 14 has a cube-like configuration that has essentially the same height, width, and depth as the boss when measured across its outside corners. The comers of the boss v32 cooperate with the corners of the cavity 14 to prevent rotation of the base 12 on the boss. However, the same result can be achieved where the boss 32 and cavity 14 have a nonrectangular configuration by means such as a ridge on the boss that is received by a groove in the cavity.

With these relationships, the hardware is mounted on the structural component 30 by orienting the hardware so that the cavity 14 is in juxtaposition with the boss 32 and the arm 18 is in juxtaposition with the lip 34. The hardware is then moved toward the structural component whereby the cavity 14 accommodates the boss 32 and the cam surface 22 of the catch 20 engages the rounded surface of the lip 34. As the movement of the hardware continues, the arm 18 is deflected away from the base 12 and the catch 20 rides over the end surface of the lip 34. Then when the cam surface 22 of the catch 20 moves past the flat surface of the lip 34, the arm 18 snaps back to its undeflected position wherein the detent surface 24 engages the flat surface. As a result, the walls of the cavity 14in the base 12 embrace the boss 32 to support the hardware, while the arm 18 and catch 20 grip the lip 34 to secure the hardware in place.

The functional portion of the hardware extends from the support 10. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 and 2 the hardware comprises a hinge pintle, and the functional portion consists of a tapered cylinder 40 extending from the base 12. The cylinder 40 is slotted longitudinally to provide bifurcations 42 that have protruding lips 44 at the upper end thereof, and the upper surface of each lip is curved while the under surface is flat.

The cylinder 40 is positioned within a hinge barrel 45 of a hinged member 46 by pressing the barrel against the curved upper surfaces of the lips 44. This deflects the lips 44 and thereby the bifurcations 42 toward one another, permitting the lips and bifurcations to move into the barrel 45. When the barrel 45 is moved past the lips 44, the bifurcations 42 return to their undeflected position and the lips secure the barrel on the cylinder 40.

We claim:

free end of the securing portion extending beyond the open end of the cavity, the free end including means for gripping the lip of the structure when the support portion is positioned over the boss;

a functional portion extending from the securing portion, the functional portion comprising a cylinder that is slotted longitudinally to provide bifurcations, the bifurcations having protruding lips at the free end thereof.

l I F l l 

1. Quick-mounting hardware for attachment to a structural component having a boss and a lip adjacent to the boss, the hardware comprising: a support portion having a cavity for accommodating the boss, the walls of the cavity being of a configuration to embrace the boss; a flexible cantilevered securing portion extending alongside of the support portion, the fixed end of the securing portion being adjacent to the closed end of the cavity of the suppOrt portion, and the free end of the securing portion extending beyond the open end of the cavity, the free end including means for gripping the lip of the structure when the support portion is positioned over the boss; a functional portion extending from the securing portion, the functional portion comprising a cylinder that is slotted longitudinally to provide bifurcations, the bifurcations having protruding lips at the free end thereof. 